The scales on Blutox's body turned sharp and pointed and his pupils turned straight. The grip on his sword tightened before he bolted forward at a tremendous speed causing the ground beneath him to crack open.
He lunged his sword forward but the man suddenly disappeared and appeared behind the him,shooting an energy ball out of his hand that sent Blutox into a tree. He raised his staff to the sky, finally putting an effort into the fight.
The sky split open and multiple burning rocks began falling towards Blutox, forcing him to run in a zigzag motion to dodge the attack. But just as he dodged the final strike, a black hole appeared on the ground below his right foot, sucking him in.
Arya appeared in front of the man and swung her dagger at his neck. He jumped back to dodge, letting go of the spell he had previously cast as it required all his attention.
Arya jumped back a few feet and pulled out another dagger from her belt. "I'll kill you."
Blutox also stood up and made his battle stance, expelling much more energy than he previously did at the beginning of the fight.
The man removed the cloak he had on and gripped his staff tightly. 'Die' was the only word he muttered before the two felt the ground below them trembling. They quickly jumped back just in time to avoid the dark energy that emerged from the ground.
Hundreds of undead creatures crawled out of the ground and zipped towards the two.
Meanwhile, Monk Zumma and Syrie returned to the scene to see Blutox and Arya fighting off the beasts.
"What is going on?" The old monk questioned.
"It's an illusion," Danila, who had been keeping away from the battle stated.
"What?" The monk asked.
Danila stood up on her feet. "When he first arrived, I had thought he used the Necromancy Act, but it is actually an illusion… he uses so much energy it feels and looks real."
Monk Zumma looked closely and also noticed the signs. "It is indeed all illusion- and it comes from the staff," The monk said.
"There is an energy Crystal inside the staff, must be what gives him that much energy, all we have to…" The monk let his words trailed off and swiftly veered around just in time to catch Daya's hand before she could swing a dagger she was holding.
"Daya? What are you doing?"
She raised her head to look at the monk, revealing her completely white eyes. She managed to pull her hand from the Monk's grip and swung the blade again, this time, the monk waved both his hands in the air and disappeared along with the Daya.
"Monk Zumma!" Danila yelled but couldn't waste too much time pondering what had just happened. She turned back to the fight Arya and Blutox were busy with before scanning around to see the man levitating with his legs crossed and rune markings forming on the ground below him while Arya and Blutox fought the undead creatures.
"What is he doing?" Syrie questioned.
"Unclear, but we have to stop whatever it is."
————
Komnene sat on a chair and groaned while stretching her body as she watched Grevla and Trippier carry Eryth's to the bed. She chuckled before grabbing an apple out of thin air which she took a bite of. "You do know laying him here isn't going make him comfortable wherever he is, right?"
"About that, where is he?" The Royal blood questioned.
The witch shrugged. "Somewhere, I don't know. The test is different for each person— some it's moments from their past, some it's the future, and at times it might just be some random moments filled with desires that the person could fall for."
"All he has to do now is find his way out of whatever it is."
"What happens if he doesn't make it out?" Trippier questioned.
"They remain in that timeline continuously until it eats them up and they gradually vanish from their time."
"How does this show that he is worthy of carrying the Tome…"
The witch's face turned pale. "For the love of the heavens above, you two ask too many questions… it was much better when I had no visitors." She stood up and picked up a mirror from behind one of the shelves. "You know what you should really be thinking about though? What is happening back at your little village."
Grevla abruptly stood up. "What is going on?" She queried.
Komnene smiled and waved her hand over the mirror while uttering some magic words. The mirror glowed for some seconds before the images of the fight at the village began to vividly show in it. "Doesn't look too good to me."
Grevla's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and burning rage. "I have to get back, now." She drew her sword and moved to the middle of the room. "Nopsis, I need your help," she said, but nothing happened.
"Nopsis, take me back to Herimol…"
"It's not gonna work, honey," Komnene chipped before laying the mirror face flat on a table.
"It has to… no, no… I can't let this happen again, I have to get back WHY WON'T IT WORK!!"
The witch pushed back her hair. "Well, first, no god is gonna come down to this hellhole to help you, even if they owe you."
Grevla raised her sword at the witch. "You trapped us here? You're with Hex."
Komnene laughed and shook her head no. "Please, if I was with Hex, we would have been done with whatever his plan is."
Grevla took a deep breath, calming herself. She returned her sword to its scabbard before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I need to get back now."
The witch cleared her throat. "I could help you," she said, drawing the Royal blood and Trippier's attention. "There's a magic I've been practising over the years and this could be like a test run for me and probably a big help for you."
"What do I need to do?"
"Nothing, you don't have to give me or do anything, just keep standing there all pretty and mad, and I'll do my thing."
Komnene pulled open a drawer and took out a flask filled with a strange powder in it. "Okay then, let's begin shall we." She opened the flask but stopped and raised her head to look at the two.
"There's something I should warn you about though," she paused. "This magic is still in its early stage and I really can't vouch for it, but I can assure you that no matter how bad it gets, you won't die."
Grevla's brows arched up. "What does that mean?"
"Crononetra the time and space goddess, an Adiaphori entity visited my abode eons ago and we hit it off so she taught me a little of her ability and made me promise never to teach it to anyone. It's how I've been able to live for this long."
"There's a goddess of Time and space?" Grevla and Trippier asked simultaneously.
The witch nodded. "It's no surprise that you have no idea, anyone who finds out about her or realizes a way to use that ability instantly fades from existence. Crononetra does such to avoid the use of her such powerful Act… which is why I'll have to wipe your memory of this conversation after this is over —including you reading this now, yeah you unless you want her to come for you—"
She continued. "Anyway, from Crononetra's teaching, the act uses Black Energy or Magic whichever this time calls it, and with a little clairvoyance, anyone using Black Energy could be able to tap into that aspect of…"
"Could you just get to it already?"
The witch sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I could use the Time and Space manipulation to get you to your village but I am a learner and there's a possibility that you could end up somewhere else or later or earlier than you should be, worst of all, you'll be lost in time forever."
"Just do it, I don't care."
Komnene turned to Trippier and raised her brows.
"I'm fine with it, but what about him?" He pointed at Eryth.
"You don't have to worry about him, I'll make sure he is safe." She then poured the powder in a circle around the two and also sprinkled a few on them before taking a step back.
She then extended her hands at them and began mumbling some words under her breath. Moments later, the atmosphere around the two shattered like glass breaking and they both suddenly disappeared along with the powder.
"Well let's hope it works." Komnene the witch sighed before turning to look at you. "Do you want to hear a fun fact about me before I wipe your memory of this moment?" She continued without waiting for your reply. "The powder and words I mumble when using my acts are just for aesthetic, it all depends on my energy."
"The potions are real though."
"Okay, bye."
….
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